Asian Travel Adventures

Palawan Travel Adventures: Day 3 - El Nido Mangrove Eco-Park

2014-06-06T15:30:00.000+08:00

On our third day in Palawan, we went to a mangrove eco-park in Marimegmeg, El Nido. The owners of the resort where we stayed, the Orange Pearl at the Marimegmeg Beach, owns another resort about a 3 to 5-minute drive from the Marimegmeg Beach. It is located in a mangrove area. The resort will open sometime this month, June 2014. According to the owners, and if I am not mistaken, the rates for their guesthouses would be around Php 5,000.00 per family room, good for 3 pax. The owners also told us that they are planning a package that would include stays in both their beach and eco-park resorts.

Eco-Park Guesthouses

The owners constructed a narrow bamboo bridge amidst the mangrove trees that ends up at the water area leading to the open sea. A small, motorized boat could ferry visitors around.

Walking along the bamboo bridge surrounded by mangrove trees is a first-time experience for me, as well as touring a mangrove area via boat. The air is definitely cleaner, as the mangroves provide 10x more oxygen. I was glad we went there. My spirit was refreshed, my mind got clearer, my heart was energized. It was a leisurely, calming walk. On the other hand, the boat tour was exciting, at least for me, since I was so looking forward to seeing the water widen into the open sea.

View from the boat ride

The open sea!

Since the Eco-Park is yet to open, I am not sure if tourists can go there on a whim. Or if there is a fee to gain entry at the Park. We were able to go to the Eco-Park because we were guests of the owners. For inquiries, you may contact the Orange Pearl Resort. They are listed at Agoda.com.

Palawan Travel Adventures: Day 2 - El Nido Island Hopping (Tour A)

2014-06-06T11:05:00.002+08:00

Entrance to the Big Lagoon

The highlight of our Palawan trip: island-hopping in El Nido!

I was most excited to engage in this activity. After all, the limestone islands of El Nido are world-famous. And we get to snorkel, too. So, what more can I ask? Well, another day of island-hopping, probably.

We sailed on a motorized banca around 9am last Wednesday. According to our guide, our first stop would either be the small or the big lagoon, depending on the tide. And from our resort, it would be a 40 minute or so ride.

I guess, we were blessed that day. The sea was as calm as it could be. We were literally cutting through crystal-clear, glass-like sea. There was not even a small wave or a ripple in sight. The sea was so still that it perfectly mirrored the skies and the islands. It was so serene and beautiful that I had to utter a prayer of thanks to the Lord for letting me witness the marvel of his creation. I was glad to be alive.

The islands of El Nido are scattered quite a distance from one another unlike in Caramoan. No wonder there are 4 types of island-hopping tours, tours a, b, c and d. And each tour takes up a whole day which I think is perfectly fine. It is better to enjoy and savor what the islands have to offer than rush from one point to another.

For Tour A, we went to the Big Lagoon, the Small Lagoon, Shimizu Island, the Seven Commandos Beach and the Secret Lagoon.

The Big Lagoon is located somewhere in Miniloc Island, the famed Ayala resort. The Small Lagoon and the Secret Lagoon are located somewhere there, too. We were quite lucky since there were few tourists. It was a Wednesday, after all, and the peak season for El Nido had ended in March.

Limestone formation, Miniloc

Miniloc Resort

As with all the islands we visited, the Big Lagoon is breathtaking. Achingly beautiful. The waters in and surrounding the island were a myriad of colors: emerald green, turquoise, aquamarine, deep blue and the prettiest and stunningly vivid azure I have ever seen in my life.

Anyway, we had a photo ops at the entrance of the lagoon, between two limestone cliffs, or island or whatever it may have been. We just happily traversed the water on the safety of our boat.

View from inside the Big Lagoon

From the Big Lagoon, we went to the Secret Lagoon, a short distance away. One by one, we entered a small, sort of triangular crevice. To safely reach the Secret Lagoon, one must sit on top of the rock-opening, then slide the lower body towards the other side slowly, making sure that your head does not hit the edge of the opening.

The docking site for the Secret Lagoon.
There is a small beach as shown in the photo.
And yes, the water is crazy clear.

View from inside the Secret Lagoon
Can you see the small triangular crevice? That is the entrance.

Afterwards, we headed to Shimizu Island for a swim while we wait for our lunch to be cooked. The boatmen and our tour guide took care of the cooking.

Shimizu Island
The beach is small but perfect for a swim.

The view from Shimizu Island

Bring your goggles or snorkeling gear. There are many fishes of various sort even in shallow waters at the Shimizu Island. Apparently, the island was named after a Japanese scuba diver who died while diving in an underwater tunnel off some sorts per the request of the diver's mother. If I have to die before an island is named after me, I'd gladly pass.

Fishes abound at the Shimizu Island.
The same is true in every island we visited.

To reach the Small Lagoon, on the other hand, we had to pass through another small rock opening. For added fun, the tour guides would assist the tour groups in making a sea train. The first person would be hanging onto a life buoy, with the next person holding onto the feet of the first person and so on and so forth. The tour guide would then pull the life buoy and the train into the narrow passageway which is just enough for a one or two persons to fit in at a time. Corny, but it was fun nonetheless.

Inside the Small Lagoon

Our final stop was the Seven Commandos Beach. A resort is currently being constructed but the bar is open and fully operational. They sell drinks at tourist prices. The beach, though, is beautiful, the shoreline is wide, and the water, shallow. Plus, the view is just so picturesque.

Seven Commandos

Still at the Seven Commandos

The skies turned slightly gray and the waves became bigger. The fair weather was turning into a cloudy one. Hence, the dark horizon as pictured above. But the view remained beautiful.

I told you...the water on this beach is shallow.
Crystal-clear. The sandy shoreline, wide.

My office mates, who grew tired from island-hopping, wanted to return to the resort even though it was only past 2pm. Oh well. I just vowed to myself that I shall return to El Nido.

Post script: Going to the Seven Commandos beach, I saw a pawikan swimming in the sea. I thought it was a huge piece of plastic bag, colored green. But when we got closer, it was a sea turtle. Like a child, I squealed in delight. To see one means you're lucky. And I was the only one who saw it in our group. Yay!

Palawan Travel Adventures: Day 1 - Manila to Puerto Princesa to El Nido

2014-06-05T23:04:00.001+08:00

Last week, I went to Palawan with my office mates. It was an unexpected trip in the sense that I was not aware that it would happen. I only knew we were going there when I was told that tickets for Puerto Princesa and back to Manila were bought online. And that they bought me tickets without my knowledge. Heehee.

At any rate, I had nothing to do with the planning of our Palawan trip. I merely went with the plans of the group and I just gave them my advice re: travel time and road conditions from Puerto Princesa to El Nido as well as how many days we should spend at the very least in El Nido. It seems that my advice was not heeded and we ended up spending a lot of our time tired from the long land travel.

The tickets my office mates bought did not maximize our time in Palawan. We had afternoon flights to and from Puerto Princesa. It would have been okay if we were to stay in Puerto Princesa on our first and second days but we had to go to El Nido straight from the airport. Sadly, our first and last days in Palawan were spent for land and air travel.

When we arrived in Puerto Princesa, our driver, Kuya Roberto, was waiting for us already. We paid Php 5000.00 for a one-way trip from Puerto Princesa to El Nido. Some of my office mates were forced to commute with other passengers since we could not all fit in a single van. They paid Php 500.00 per person.

We were able to leave Puerto Princesa around 4pm via a private chauffeured van and we arrived in El Nido around 10pm. By the time we got to El Nido, we were all wasted from the flight delay, the flight itself and the 6-hour grueling land travel from Puerto Princesa to El Nido.

You may wonder why I called it "grueling." Well, for many reasons. Firstly, it was my first time to travel that long via land, and 6 hours is really a 6 hour drive, with only a short stop for a bathroom break. Secondly, while the road conditions have vastly improved, as per our driver, there are parts especially in Taytay where the roads remain unpaved. Thirdly, there are no street lights for most part of the way to El Nido. The only light we had was from our own van and from the head lights of the vehicles we met on the road. Needless to say, vehicles plying from Puerto Princesa to El Nido and vice versa are few, far and between. It was sort of a creepy ride, driving in near darkness and in almost total isolation.

I told my office mates that it would not be a good idea to travel late afternoon since we'd be forced to drive in the dark but they just told me that arriving in El Nido by 10pm would still be relatively early. I just bit my tongue and let them do all the planning. And I guess, we all learned the hard way. Teehee.

Anyway, the resort where we stayed was some 15 minutes away by car from the El Nido town proper. When our chauffeur suddenly made a stop on the roadside, we were all scared. It was totally dark and the only light we had was again, from our van's headlights and the awfully amazing stars above us. We had to wait for some 30 to 40 minutes for the resort personnel to fetch us. Well, we had a hard time contacting them due to the poor cellular signal reception. And apparently, the resort is some 600 meters away from the roadside and we had to travel on foot through a narrow, dirt road, again, in total darkness, save from the torch light brought by the resort personnel and our own cellular phones. And the dirt road went uphill and downhill, almost an obstacle course, making walking with our luggage a little more difficult. But when we got to the beach side, even in the darkness, we could tell that the water is crystal clear and when we finally reached the resort, we all heaved a sigh of relief. There was light and electricity at last. And warm food. Buffet!

Travel Itinerary for 2014

2014-06-05T21:16:00.000+08:00

The year 2014 started off great, travelling wise. I have been to many places since the Chinese New Year in and out of the Philippines. Mostly, local travels. I have been busy travelling and will remain busy for the rest of the year doing what I love. So, yay!

Here are the places I have been to during the first half of the year:

February:

Baguio

March:

Pico de Loro, Nasugbu, Batangas

Hong Kong

Cebu City

May:

El Nido and Puerto Princesa, Palawan

For the second half of the year, these are the places I will be visiting:

June:

Phuket, Thailand

November/December:

Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Nara and possibly, Hiroshima, Japan

Considering that I will be in Japan late autumn for an 8-day trip, I will have to restrain myself from travelling during the second half of the year. My Japan trip will most likely consume a huge chunk of my resources so I need to save and refrain from shopping and travelling, after Phuket, that is.

I will start blogging from my most recent trip to Palawan, Philippines, last week and the I will chronicle my travel adventures during the first half of the year in reverse chronological order.

Please bear with me and I will do my very best not to disappoint my dear readers and friends.

Reclaiming My Life: I Am Back From the Dead

2014-06-05T20:09:00.003+08:00

My dear friends and readers, I have finally returned! A took an abrupt hiatus from blogging due to personal reasons. My life had been one hell of ride...it literally was hell. While not all may be well, even up to this time, I am taking back my life. I am rising to the challenge and slowly, I have been resuming those activities I love.

Last year, I didn't have the energy to travel, mostly because my life was in shambles. I have gotten stronger since, and though I may still be badly bruised here and there, I am trying to restart my life. And I got back to travelling again, letting nature heal my wounds. After all, travelling is my remedy, not clarity. ;-)

My wings may have been broken but my spirit could still soar.

I am glad to be back. I thank you all for waiting.

Year of the Snake 2013 - A Fresh Start

2013-02-09T09:46:00.001+08:00

For non-Chinese people like me, Chinese New Year offers another fresh start if the beginning of the calendar year is less than favorable. In my case, this year started off in the wrong foot. I almost lost the one I treasure the most. In fact, I did but in the end, my most cherished treasure found its way back.

This is a travel blog so I wouldn't go into details but I am most grateful for a second chance. So thankful of my blessings that the most secretive person in the planet, i.e., me, has just revealed a little bit of her true self.

I hope this coming lunar new year, may we all enjoy this fresh beginning and may we never let this opportunity be gone to waste. Be thankful for all the blessings that might come our way and enjoy all happiness we may experience, no matter how little. And of course, we should all face adversities with courage. A little perseverance and patience go a long way.

To new beginnings!

Blog Updates!

2013-02-08T13:12:00.001+08:00

I know I have not been updating my site as much as I should. Well, I've been busy with work and I guess, I've been getting lazier and lazier each passing day. You see, writing and putting up photos take a lot of time and effort.

So, right now, I have a herculean task of posting my travel adventures in Bicol (April 2012), Nasugbu (April 2012), Bohol (June 2012), Subic (October 2012), Cambodia (December 2012) and Hong Kong (January 2013). Plus, I've been to quite a number of hotels and resorts in and out of the Philippines the past year which I have not yet reviewed. Just thinking about it makes me feel tired. Hay!

On a happier note, I am proud to say that I am nearing 100,000 page views! I know it isn't much, but geez, it really makes my heart fond! Thank you, my dear readers, for putting up with me and my weirdness.

It's More Fun in the Philippines - 5 Good Reasons Why You Should Go To Boracay

2013-02-06T13:14:00.001+08:00

People go to Boracay for varied reasons. Some go to Boracay, especially during summer, to party from dusk till dawn, while others want to be there just for the heck of it. After all, Boracay is a great place to see and be seen.

Me, on the other hand, went to Boracay for the simplest reason: to experience the sun, sea and the immaculate sand. Of course, there are other note-worthy reasons to go there, like the following:

1. The azure skies and sea, and the fine white sands of Boracay.

2. Great place to chillax and Instagram your moments.

3. The beach HOTTIES.

4. Island-hopping.

5. Paraw riding.

Whatever floats your boat, you can be assured that there will be something for everybody to do in Boracay.

Have fun in Boracay!

.gif from Purinpuu.tumblr.com/

It's More Fun in the Philippines: Boracay! Day 1

2012-10-16T19:45:00.000+08:00

We went to Boracay almost a year ago, i.e., December 2011. It was my first time going there and most of my companions were first-timers, too. Well, I wanted to touch the famed fine, white sand and to see what the fuss is about Boracay.

So, from Manila, we all boarded a Cebu Pacific plane. However, since we were a big group (around 15), we were in 2 different flights: the super early one and the afternoon one.

It was also my first time to board a plane smaller than the regular airbus, so I was kinda scared. I asked if I could be seated in front and my request was granted. I got seat 1, on the first row, but it was a seat facing all the other passengers! So, I felt like a flight attendant. It was an odd experience but a memorable one.

Anyway, when we got to Caticlan, our van service, courtesy of The Sands Hotel, was already at the airport to transfer us to the jetty port. From the port, The Sands' own boat picked us up to take us to Boracay island.

Jetty Port

Transfer Service

What can I say? We arrived in style. Teehee.

After another short ride from the Boracay jetty port, we finally reached the hotel, and I was so relieved. I know that Boracay is supposed to be fun and full of people. However, since I'm one of those weirdos who seek tranquility while on the beach, I was hoping to that our hotel would be somewhere more secluded. And I was not disappointed. The Sands is located in Station 3, some 15 minutes away from the unbearably crowded Station 2.

The sand in Boracay are powdery white, but not in this photo!

The setting sun made the sand look beige.

Boracay's sand proved to be as soft as talc and as white as snow (almost). And I don't know if I just have thick soles but the sand does not get unbearably hot. I could walk around the beach barefoot even under the midday sun. One thing I noticed though is that not all Stations have the same texture of sand. Station 3 has the coarsest powder-sand and it gets finer going towards Station 1.

Hmm...I was expecting Boracay to be crowded when we arrived mid-afternoon. But apparently, most people were out riding the paraw, taking refuge from the midday sun or sleeping in. Surprisingly, Boracay was relatively serene when we arrived.

Starting 5pm, the crowd got thicker, and by sunset, Station 2 became the ultimate party destination. Then again, partying has never been my cup of tea, so I just walked along the beach to watch the setting sun.

BLOG STATS RESET!

2012-10-15T11:04:00.001+08:00

Argh! I know I am not a popular blogger or anything. But at least I have readers and visitors on my blog every so often. So, imagine my shock when I saw my Blogger statistics got reset to zero today. WTF?!

It's More Fun in the Philippines: Bataan - Day 2 at the Dambana ng Kagitingan

2012-08-20T13:59:00.001+08:00

Dambana ng Kagitingan

For our second day in Bataan, my family and I went to see the 00KM marker of the Bataan Death March, which is located nearby the NPC Village, before heading to the Dambana ng Kagitingan. I wanted my little nephews and nieces to see the marker for their Philippine history studies.

Then we're off to Mt. Samat! Remember, it was a stormy day but there were a lot of local tourists going up to the mountain, like us. We saw a lot of teens and some mid-20s peeps hiking to the Dambana ng Kagitingan but every now and then, heavy rains would disrupt their journey. Well, there are no public transportation to the Dambana ng Kagitingan so you either hike or drive. But man, Mt. Samat is little eerie since the mountain is pretty dense. Nonetheless, the roads are in good condition, except for some fallen leaves and branches here and there.

The weather was really wonky.

See the thick clouds obscuring the top of the cross.

And this is a colossal marble edifice.

The stained glass is just divine.

To get into the cross itself, you may use the stone-paved, ascending zig-zag walkway, or better yet, drive a little further up. I am semi-afraid of heights and the only way to go down from the cross back to the entrance, if you didn't drive going there, is through the stone-paved, zigzag walkway. It's slippery when wet, and if you're a klutz like me, you'll probably have a hard time descending.

Now, to get inside the cross, you have to ride a very small and narrow elevator. Since it was a holiday, there were a lot of tourists and the storm didn't deter any of us to visit the Dambana ng Kagitingan. Lots of tourists mean you have to wait for your turn to use the elevator and go up to the viewing area which is the horizontal part of the cross. It couldn't accommodate much, the elevator and the viewing area both. In our case, we didn't wait that long. And we learned the reason why once we got to the viewing area. The winds were freaking scary! They were whistling! And you'll feel the cross swaying! It was pretty fun, though, to have the winds and drizzle slap on your face. And the view is amazing, and so is the viewing deck itself! You're literally in the clouds, too! Anyway, there's nothing to worry about since there are guides and some will go up and down with the tourists in the elevator in case it halts for whatever reason.

The viewing area has a goth-like, vampire's lair vibe.

The best way to scare yourself, err, I mean, to listen to the howling of the winds?

Open all the windows, of course, and sway with the force!

This is what the earth looks like from up above the clouds.

I uttered a short thanks to the Lord for this magnificent view.

And I even said to myself that Bataan is so gorgeous that I wouldn't mind living there.

No, this isn't from a horror movie.

I'm just messing up your mind and made it look creepy.

If the elevator bogs down, which happens at times, this is your way up and down.

It'll be your escape route, too.

Really, the cross is so imposing and amazing.

This is probably the best photo I took of anything, ever.

If you want to know more about the Dambana ng Kagitingan (Shrine of Valor), you may visit the official website of the Province of Bataan, here:

http://www.bataan.gov.ph/index.php/DAMBANA-NG-KAGITINGAN.html

It's More Fun in the Philippines: Bataan - Day 1 at the Westnuk Beach Cove

2012-06-13T20:38:00.002+08:00

Westnuk Beach Cove on a stormy afternoon.

Our accommodations at the NPC Village includes a free day pass to the Westnuk Beach Cove. It is located inside the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) in Morong. Before, you cannot go to the Westnuk Beach unless you know someone from the National Power Corporation who could accommodate you as a guest. But not anymore! It is now open to the public, but for a minimal fee. If I'm not mistaken, entrance for day-trippers is around Php 130.00 per person, more or less, with discount for government employees..

Now that it is accessible to the general public, the secret of its beauty is now out! And it says so in its website:

Hidden away in the heart of Morong, Bataan, Westnuk Beach Resort is the perfect getaway for weary travelers looking to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. Our resort is only a two and a half hour drive from Manila. Getting there is an experience in itself as the roads you travel are filled with scenic views of where the mountains and the sea meet.

Even in its simplicity, Westnuk Beach Resort features comfortable accommodations with scenic ocean views. We cater to friends, families, and even companies seeking to have fun under the sun. For larger groups and company outings we can accommodate over five hundred people at our hotel at NPC Resort Village, a twenty minute ride via our shuttle service. That’s two venues to experience in one convenient package.

Be surrounded by nature unspoiled by man. When you’re not swimming, facilities for basketball, beach volleyball and karaoke are available for you to enjoy. Come and enjoy one of the Philippines most beautiful and unspoiled beaches for a holiday you’ll never forget.

You know what? NPC got it right. The roads of Bataan to Westnuk do offer scenic views and are well-maintained; no traffic, too. And the one from NPC Village to Westnuk Beach showcases rows of fields and clean creeks or streams. It's very calming.

It is a treat to go inside the BNPP and to see the Plant itself. And then, you'll see the cove and it looks amazing. However, since there was a storm when we were there, we didn't thoroughly enjoy the beach. At first, the weather seemed fine: the sky was overcast, but no rain. Thus, we were able to wade in the water but not for long. Well, the winds started to get crazy and it affected the waves. Good thing it was a cove so the waves were not intimidating. Then, the skies suddenly grew darker and darker. And it started to rain hard.

No rain yet.

But the waves came in succession,turning sea water to foam/bubble.

Heavy rain started to pour, and the waves got a little bigger.

See the rocks in the background shrouded by the rain.

The Westnuk Beach also offers overnight accommodations, but it is almost always full. Their ocean-view two-storey guest pavillion has four air-conditioned rooms and three regular rooms able to accommodate a total of forty-two guests. If you can't get a reservation at the beach, the NPC Village and the NPC Hotel, 15-20 minutes away by car, are the alternatives.

It's More Fun in the Philippines: Bataan - Day 1 at the NPC Nuclear Power Village

2012-06-10T14:11:00.002+08:00

Since I am just a short post away from wrapping up my Macau travel adventures, I'm going to blog about my Bataan adventures since I've been itching to do it for a long time already.

If you remember, last August 2011, the Philippines had a rather extra long weekend because of several holidays. So, I was so flustered thinking about being stuck at home. I wanted to go to Baguio but my reservation was put on-hold and when it was finally okay, it was already too late to go. Anyway, my family and I ended up staying at the National Power Corporation's Nuclear Power Village in Bagac, Bataan.

It was my third time to set foot in Bataan. The first one was when I was in college; the second one was for a 2-day work-related matter. But the road we took going to Bagac was different from the one I used before, so it was like my first time going to Bataan.

Anyway, I liked Bataan. In fairness, the roads are wide and paved; there are a lot of trees and really, nature still abounds. However, there are not too many vehicles on the road and Bagac is like 2 to 2 1/2 hours away from Manila.

To reach the NPC Village, which is now open to the public for rentals of the villas, is really easy. It's after the Philippine-Japanese Friendship Tower, turn right from the gas station and you're there.

The Philippine-Japanese Friendship Tower

The Village is past its glory days. Really. The houses are sad looking and old, but for its price, its okay. I think I paid around Php 3,000 with discount, for 2 days and 1 night. However, if you need to use a ref, the tv or a gas burner, you'd have to rent it for a fee. I forgot how much, though. Anyway, they have a maximum number of guests allowed per house but don't worry, they won't make a head count. We were almost 20 in our group although the allowable people per house is just 10-12. We didn't pay extra. If you prefer, they also have a small hotel.

It's easy to know that this place has once been grand. See the helipad in front of the hotel.

Most of the amenities are non-operational. But at least, the pool remains.

But there's a fire station inside! How cool is that?

There are 4 huge rooms (or 5?). We all fit in. I requested for extra sheets and pillows and they didn't charge me for those.

These are the bungalows. So huge. Ours is across this one, but smaller.

These are the abandoned bungalows.

And bring your own food. It's difficult to find a place to eat, even at the "bayan."

There's a good thing about the NPC Village. It comes with free entrance to the West Nuk Beach at the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant. They also have lodgings at the Beach but it was fully booked so we had to settle with the village. The catch: it's about 15-25 minutes by car from the Village. But the trip is all worth it, I promise.

The NPC Village also has a swimming pool; old but clean and decent, and the compound is huge and good for a stroll or for jogging. And, there are a lot of guava trees. We just picked from the trees, with blessings from the guard (he says it'll just get rotten anyway), and the guavas we got were so delicious! Juicy and ripe! Yum. We even got to take home some.

The guavas either just fall on the ground or get eaten by birds, like this one.

And, if you don't know it, you can view from the Village, the famous Las Casas Pilipinas, a resort nearby which painstakingly restored, piece by piece, some of the historic houses, mansions and even school buildings, from around Luzon.

Las Casas Filipinas as seen from the NPC Village.

Finally, I must say that the views here are gorgeous. See the photo below where the road seems to meet the sea and the skies.

Seat Sale: Cebu Pacific's Independence Day Sale 2012

2012-06-10T09:52:00.001+08:00

Since we'll be celebrating Independence Day on the 12th, Cebu Pacific has a seat sale promo for January 1, 2013 to March 15, 2013. Cebu Pacific quotes their fares one-way, all in, but the final price for their Incheon flights still went over by several hundreds because checked-in baggage and country-specific taxes are not included.

Happy travel planning!

Seat Sale Promo

We’re ALL-IN this together!

Pick your favorite seat for as low as P200
Super size your baggage! Pre-book and SAVE up to 50%
Get insured with travel insurance.
Choose from available domestic and international rooms with Hotels
Get exclusive deals! Sign up for SeatSaleAlert!.

Philippine Destinations


TO ALL PHILIPPINE DESTINATIONS	P700

ALL-IN DOMESTIC fare is one way, INCLUSIVE OF: fuel surcharge, admin fee, aviation security fee, 12% VAT and 7 kg hand carry baggage allowance but exclusive of check-in baggage. Limited availability. Flight changes are permitted with Php 800 rebooking fee and Php 900 cancellation fee. CAB approved terms and conditions of carriage apply and are available online at http://www.cebupacificair.com/Pages/SeatSalePromo.aspx

Regional Destinations


Clark to Bangkok, Hong Kong, Macau or Singapore	P1,088

Manila to Bangkok, Brunei, Ho Chi Minh, Jakarta, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hanoi NEW! or Siem Reap NEW! Cebu to Singapore	P1,488

Manila to Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Macau, Taipei, Shanghai or Xiamen NEW! Clark or Kalibo to Hong Kong NEW!	P1,688

Manila to Manila to Busan, Incheon or Osaka Cebu to Busan or Incheon	P2,588

Sale Period: Up to Jun. 12, 2012 or until seats last | Travel Period: Jan. 1 - Mar. 15, 2013

ALL-IN INTERNATIONAL fares are one way INCLUSIVE OF: fuel surcharge, admin fee and 7 kg hand carry baggage allowance but exclusive of country specific taxes and check-in baggage. Limited availability. Flight changes are permitted with Php 1, 800 rebooking fee and Php 2, 500 cancellation fee. Advertised fares are subject to changes due to foreign currency exchange fluctuations. CAB approved terms and conditions of carriage apply and are available online at http://www.cebupacificair.com/Pages/SeatSalePromo.aspx

Macau Adventures: Day 3 - The Venetian Hotel

2012-06-10T09:03:00.002+08:00

It wasn't my first time at the Venetian but I was glad to be back. I love the huge rooms and the opulence, and the fact that you can fit 6 people in the Bella Suite; more if you don't mind sleeping huddled like sardines on the bed, or sleeping on the floor.

Anyway, Venetian is such a huge hotel so it's easy to get lost. Good thing they give their guests maps for easier navigation. While there are a lot of people milling around, once you get to the hotel wings, you'll see a staff checking people out, asking which room you'll go or asking to see your key card. Security is good.

As for the room, it's plush and very large. You could do cartwheels in there. The beds are kept separate from the sunken living room with railings. There are two queen-sized beds and the sofa converts into a bed, too. Just ask for extra sheets, pillows and a comforter if you want to sleep on it. Oh, there are two tvs, too.

Of course, the bathroom is huge. The shower, toilet and bath are separate, with the dressing area taking up much of the room.

My friends and I availed of Venetian's package which includes breakfast and one-way ferry to HK for two, a photobooth picture and 200 MOP shopping credit at participating stores at the hotel.

This is the package we availed of.

Our room has amazing views of the surrounding hotels but I think most of the rooms have equally compelling views. After all, the windows are floor to ceiling and there are no uninspiring edifice in the vicinity. At night, you'll get glittering lights from the nearby hotels.

The Venetian is so huge we didn't even have the time to explore it in its entirety!

Like this place seen on our windows.

City of Dreams, Crown and Hard Rock.

There is another attraction at the Venetian that pulls people in, aside from its casino: shopping at the Shoppes at the Grand Canal, Shoppes at Cotai Central and Shoppes at Four Seasons. These sections are interconnected so you could go from one section to another.

ASIA'S MOST UNIQUE AND OPULENT SHOPPING EXPERIENCE

Experience the romance and grandeur of Shoppes Grand canal where guests are entertained by serenading gondoliers and enjoy performances by signature Streetmosphere™ performers with colourful antics of jugglers, living statues, musicians as they wander around the colourful Venetian streetscapes. Shoppes Grand Canal is a luxurious one-million-square-foot indoor mall with more than 330 stores featuring world renowned brands and the best boutiques from New York, Paris, London and Milan. From fashion, gadgets, jewellery, accessories to over 30 restaurants and an extensive food court, there’s bound to be something for you, for that special partner to something for the family.

MACAO’S ULTIMATE LUXURY DUTY-FREE SHOPPING EXPERIENCE

With its addition of nearly 100 intimate boutiques and galleries, Shoppes Cotai Central, as part of Shoppes Cotai, Macao’s Ultimate Luxury Duty Free shopping experience, joins Shoppes Grand Canal and Shoppes at Four Seasons to offer a staggering 600 stores to choose from, the most in any one single location in all of Macao! This shopper’s paradise includes some exciting new first to market brands in Macao and is set in a refreshing environment abundant in natural light, with cascading waterfalls, green vegetation and rocky cliff sides.

A REMARKABLE LUXURY MALL THAT IS BEYOND COMPARE

Shoppes Four Seasons personifies the bespoke elegance of the Four Seasons and is Macao’s first luxury mall, home to more than 160 luxury and designer brands like Audemars Piguet, Bottega Veneta, Cartier, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton. Every shop occupies a lavishly spaced area in which guests can truly enjoy the delights of shopping with bespoke service whereby guests can receive personalised attention from a shopping consultant, and rest assured that the Mall Concierge and limousine delivery service are always at the ready. For a comprehensive range of cosmetics, beauty & fragrance, DFS Beauty World, which features over 45 international cosmetic brands, to complete their new look.

Of these Shoppes, the Shoppes Grand Canal is most frequented by visitors. Why? Because there's an indoor canal with gondolas to take you around and the shoppes are Venetian-style which little arch bridges, lamp posts, and yes, the ceilings are painted with clouds.

Another reason why it's famous? Koreanovela addicts know the answer! Boys Over Flowers had location scenes shot here.

It's More Fun in the Philippines - Blog Series

2012-05-01T11:49:00.000+08:00

Cagsawa Ruins and Mt. Mayon, Bicol

Although I have reservations about the Philippines' tourism slogan, I can do nothing about it. Might as well find something useful about it. So, I've entitled my Philippine travel adventure series, "It's More Fun in the Philippines."

Lately, I've been going around the country one tourist destination at a time. I'll start blogging my adventures after wrapping up my Hong Kong and Macau adventures, but here's a sneak peek:

West Nuk Beach, Bataan

Boracay, Aklan

Caramoan, Camarines Sur

Pico de Loro, Nasugbu, Batangas

Punta Fuego, Nasugbu, Batangas

Seat Sale for Labor Day 2012: Cebu Pacific and Air Philippines

2012-04-30T19:20:00.000+08:00

Tomorrow, May 1, is Labor Day, and, there's going to be seat sales for both Cebu Pacific and Air Philippines. Yay! Totoro-line wave!

UPDATES:

Cebu Pacific's promo has a 90% off on the base price of their domestic and regcional flights. It means, the fuel surcharge remains the same. So, a roundtrip ticket to Incheon will still yield an almost Php 7,000.00 price. Promo period is from May 1 to May 2; travel period is from September 1 to December 15.

As for Air Philippines, their P1 fare refers to the base fare as well and it covers flights from Cebu and Clark, and Php 288 base fare for their Manila outbound flights. Promo period is from May 1 to 3; Travel period is from May 16 to July 31.

Cebu Pacific posted this teaser:

On the other hand, Air Philippines tweeted this:

Tomorrow = May P1. :)
— Airphil Express (@airphilexpress) April 30, 2012

So, it's possibly an 80% off from Cebu Pacific perhaps for flights until December or even beyond, and Php 1.00 base fare for Air Philippines' domestic flights. Most likely, both seat sales shall commence at 12 midnight.

Good luck and happy travel planning!

Macau Adventures: Day 3 - Ferry to Macau

2012-04-30T11:53:00.000+08:00

Screen cap of Google Map's street view of China Hong Kong City Building

Yes, my friends and I decided to have an Amazing Race across China and its special administrative regions (SARs). We visited, Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Macau in our 4d3n tour last February. It's a very crazy idea. I don't encourage anyone to do the same, especially for first-time travelers.

Throwing caution to the wind, we spent a night in Macau just to be able to say that we've been there. Well, I've been there before, but most of my companions were first time visitors of HK, China and Macau.

So, from our hotel, we took a shuttle going to TST. The stop was very near the China Ferry Terminal. It's very easy to find. Just go inside China Hong Kong City,where the huge Esprit outlet store is located at the ground floor. Refer to the photo I screencapped from Google Maps. Entrance is beside Esprit, just go up to the short escalators until you reach the third floor, I think, where the booking offices are located. From there, you can take your pick of ferry service depending on the time you want to depart. Most services leave even every 30 minutes, except for Cotai Jet which departs late in the afternoon if I remember correctly. This ferry station also services passengers to Mainland China such as Zhuhai. [Update April 2014: The Esprit outlet store relocated inside the China Hong Kong City Mall]

This is the floor where the ticketing offices are located.

Departure Area at the China Ferry Terminal Station

After buying tickets and while waiting for our ferry to depart, we ate lunch at Cafe de Coral, a fast food chain in Hong Kong which offers cheap meals, of course by Hong Kong standards. The food there is quite tasty and they change their menus depending on the time. After 2 p.m., no more lunch sets, for example. Be sure to state clearly your choice of set meal and which beverage you want since not all cashiers understand English well. You can point to the menu on the wall, then say if you want milk tea, or if you want cola (additional price). You'll be given a printed receipt plus an order slip which you'll have to hand over to a staff at a separate counter where roasted ducks are hung. Wait for your order and hope that the cashier and helper got your orders right.

Well, what do you know? Look at how dirty my cup was.

Probably, the tea spilled. It was just surprising that the staff were unconcerned
about the messy cup and did not even bother to replace it.

This was my lunch. It was an oven-baked pork chop with pineapples and sauce poured over the rice.

Yummy, but there was too much sauce.

We picked First Ferry/Turbo Jet as our service provider. It was the same company we used when I went to Macau in 2009 with my family. It leaves every 30 minutes from 7am to 10:30 pm everyday. Makes you wonder how many gamblers, tourists, businessmen and locals shuffle to and from Macau each day. Hmm.

Anyway, I think we paid around HKD 150+ per person since it was a weekend. But the ferry was not packed and it was a pleasant ride so we were able to take a nap. About an hour later, we reached Macau! Yay!

Once in Macau, and after passing through the immigration, we took the underpass going to the other side of the street to catch a free shuttle bus to our hotel, the Venetian.

The Venetian Hotel's Mascot was at the Ferry Terminal to welcome Macau's visitors!

So cute!

The Free Shuttle to Venetian.

Shenzhen Adventures: Day 2 - Lunch, Windows of the World and Splendid China

2012-04-28T10:27:00.000+08:00

Windows of the World

After passing through the HK Immigration, our guide waved at us and waited for us to get through the Shenzhen border. Our first stop: lunch at a restaurant. It's part of the tour so it's free.

While the tour to Shenzhen is free and comes with a group visa plus free lunch, you won't see much, just a photo ops outside the Windows of the World and the factories, e.g., jade factory, silk factory, etc. If you want to get inside the Windows of the World and the Splendid China, you have to pay extra. We paid RMB 300 each for Splendid China which includes tickets to 2 cultural shows and a ride around the park.

Windows of the World

Splendid China

Still shots from the first show.

Snapshots from my videos of the Dragon and Phoenix Dance Show

Having watched the Dragon and Phoenix Dance in 2010, I was slightly disappointed with the performance I watched this February. It was not as solid a performance as the first time I watched it. It was still a feast on the eyes, but not as spectacular as I remember it. I have videos of then and now to compare the performances.

By the way, it was freaking cold! Way colder due to the open spaces. Good thing we had some 30 minutes to spare before the Dragon and Phoenix Show to eat some hot meals, like noodles and hot milk tea with tapioca. Yum!

I highly recommend, too, those grilled mutton on sticks. For 3 sticks at RMB 10, you'll get your money's worth! It's so darn tasty, tender and goes well with a sort of hard naan-like bread sold separately. You may opt to have it without the spices, like I did if you're not into spicy foods.

Hong Kong Adventures 2012 Day 2: At the Lohu Border

2012-04-14T09:40:00.000+08:00

Our second day in HK was a little warmer at 17-18C. Great! I still had to wear tights since I was wearing a mini skirt which I bought, and used, too in Singapore. In fact, I use that Annie skirt from Cotton On a lot. I think it makes my stumpy legs look loads better.

Anyway, we had to join a half day city tour so we'd get a free tour to Shenzhen, China, in the afternoon. Our half-day tour was so boring. We only went to a part of the Avenue of Stars, same place we went to last year, then nothing else. Except for JC jewelry factory, again. We didn't mind the shortened trip since we wanted to go Shenzhen earlier than scheduled.

Avenue of Stars

I believe this is a ferry to Macau.

So, we're off to Shenzhen. Only this time, we were given return-trip tickets. Yay!

The train ride to the Lohu border was uneventful, but the train was packed. I was standing for most of the ride. Anyway, we had to stop for a while after reaching Lohu and bought some drinks, breads and sandwiches and 2 packs of Yakult. The HK Yakult is bigger than our Yakult but tastes the same, of course.

You should know that Lohu is a very busy station as it is the border for HK and Shenzhen, China. Of course, there are a lot of people rushing and it can be very intimidating. So, be cautious and try not to slam into someone.

If there is one advice everyone should follow going to Shenzhen is this: GO STRAIGHT TO THE CHINA IMMIGRATION AREA AND NEVER TURN BACK ONCE YOU GET TO THIS PART.

Why? Well, all people are moving towards the China Immigration right after having their passports stamped by the HK Immigration and if you turn back, the security will chase after you. You'll be suspected of having illegally entered the Hong Kong part of immigration, that is why. We saw a lady, in her 20s walking against the flow and she was shouted at, chased and accosted by the security and was brought to a holding area. Let it be a lesson for all.

Blog Updates Are Late!

2012-04-14T08:37:00.001+08:00

Geez! I have been busy again for the past weeks that I have not been able to make updates on my trip reports. Argh! I still have to sort through my Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Macau photos, and I have just been to Naga, Legazpi and Caramoan, Camarines Sur last week. And, I still have not made a trip report on my Bataan and Boracay adventures last August and December 2011. I really have a lot to do.

I'll try to update one post at a time.

Hong Kong Adventures 2012: Day 1 - The Rush for Warmth

2012-03-11T08:40:00.001+08:00

It was this foggy when we arrived at the HKIA.

Yes, it was cold.

I went to Hong Kong for the third time earlier this month. I travelled with my friends this time around. We didn't get to do anything, except for shopping on the first day for warmer clothes and comfortable shoes, and going to Disneyland. But since it was almost closing time, we just took photos outside the park.

Why did we need to buy warmer clothes in Hong Kong on our first day? You see, my friends were not appropriately dressed for the weather even though they knew that it was going to be cold in Hong Kong. It was around 15C when we got to Hong Kong but most of my friends were wearing summer clothes; one was even wearing flip flops! When we were on the plane,we were amused with our co-passengers on full winter gear. One friend quipped, "Exag[gerated]! May fur-fur pa!" I laughed along with them since I also thought that bubble jackets weren't necessary. But when we boarded down the plane, guess who the laughing stock was. Yup, us!

It was so foggy HK was barely visible.

In fact, we only saw the harbor when we were this close already.

It got worse when we arrived at Hong Kong International Airport's immigration. We were surrounded by throngs of travellers from Japan, and possibly, Korea, too, (let's just say East Asians to be sure). And they were all dressed to impress, in full winter garb! My friend, as I said, was wearing flip flops, and her toes were turning blue from the cold.. My other friends were wearing high-heeled sandals and stilettos, the ones you wear to the office. One does not have a jacket on, just a thin blouse, but at least they're wearing pants because my flip flops loving friend was just wearing leggings. Imagine the bewilderment of the people queued at the immigration. You can clearly see the shock on their faces, even consternation from some. All of them were looking at our footwear. Guess, they were thinking how stupid we were.

I came almost adequately prepared; I was even appropriately dressed. But I was really hesitant to wear my rubber shoes because while it provides comfort, it isn't fashionable. I was aware that people in Hong Kong, locals and travellers alike, are generally well-dressed. You can even say fashion-conscious. I wanted to look the part of a posh traveller but I did not want to bring my winter dress coat since it's too heavy. When I got to see those travellers at the immigration, I wished I brought it along since most were wearing their most fashionable coats, boots, etc.

Anyway, we rode our coach service going to our hotel and we rested for an hour or two before we headed out to shop. We went to Tsim Sa Tsui to buy warmer clothes at H&M. I just bought some bonnets on sale (HKD 10 a piece) and some flats to go with my new shoulder bag I bought back in the Philippines. My friends rushed to look for winter clothes and shoes but only one did buy a more comfortable footwear. The rest skimped on spending and braved the cold weather. One purposely didn't buy anything because she said she had thermal underneath. But she was shivering nonetheless and had to wash it everyday as she just had one thermal with her. I even had her use my newly bought flats since she couldn't walk anymore by night time; she was wearing stilettos.

Is this the Silvermine Beach?

The windows of our coach service is kinda filthy, hence the brown streaks.

I had to tweak the photos to get rid of the fog, but the color of the sea is real.

So pretty!

K-11 Mall is very near Mirador Mansion, just beside Holiday Inn if I remember correctly.

This dude was sleeping at the open-space area at K-11 Mall.

Tsim Sha Tsui

Then we went to Mongkok and browsed the camera shops there and ate our super late lunch/early dinner at Cafe de Coral, a food chain I see almost everywhere in Hong Kong. As we squandered our time shopping, we barely had time to go to Disneyland so we just took photos outside. We were supposed to watch the fireworks but it was damn cold and we were all shivering. I was shivering the least. My friends quipped that they now know how Nelo felt as he dies in the snow with Patrasche. And it was only about 13C! Can I just say that every time I remember the anime "My Patrasche" tears well-up in my eyes? Damn.

Sunny Bay. All Disney!

Sorry for the crappy night shots.

I didn't know I could adjust the ISO.

To give ourselves another chance to buy warmer clothes, we went to City Gate. But no luck! We headed back to Panda Hotel via cab. It cost HKD 170.00 or thereabouts from City Gate including toll fare. And there goes our first day in Hong Kong!

Hotels and Accommodations: Courtyard @ Heeren, Melaka, Malaysia

2012-03-10T10:42:00.000+08:00

As you may have probably noticed, I only have good words for Courtyard @ Heeren, which is not surprising given the quality of the service it provided to us. It was clearly superb.

Our trip to Melaka would not have been possible were it not for the suggestion of the Courtyard @ Heeren staff, the affable Amar, to buy us bus tickets for an earlier departure for a return journey to Singapore. It was really unexpected for the staff to go out of their way just to make our plans push through. Imagine, the staff had to reserve and buy the tickets for us and the hotel paid for it in the meantime. When we arrived, we paid for the tickets. I was thoroughly impressed! So, to Amar, Audrey and the rest of the Courtyard @ Heeren staff, thank you very, very much!

Location

It is located along Heeren Street, a few feet away from the Heeren Guesthouse, almost in front of the Baba House, and a very short walking distance from the famous Jonker Street. It's centrally located so the places of interest in Melaka are within comfortable walking distance from the Courtyard. Here's the map they sent me via email so I would not get lost.

Reception

Courtyard @ Heeren is one of the many heritage homes-turned-boutique hotels in Melaka. But I assure you that this one is a gem. Their rates are quite reasonable, and I dare say, cheaper than what I expected to pay for, and their rooms are just divine.

Anyway, when we arrived at the Courtyard @ Heeren, the staff, including Amar, promptly gave us some welcome drinks, cold pomelo juice, and helped us settle in. The room was not yet ready since we arrived earlier than the check-in time but we had no problems with it since we needed to go out immediately to withdraw some cash at an ATM machine (Amar told us how to go there in detail). Amar gave me the tickets, which I paid for, and gave me a receipt of our room booking which I previously paid for by credit card.

The door to the left leads to the rooms on the ground floor.

Reception area (main door on the left side)

Stairs leading to the breakfast area.

Superior Room

This is the first room that you'll see and surprisingly, it was not noisy at all. This, despite the fact that everyone has to pass by our room to get into the other rooms.

The superior room has twin beds and the bathroom is just so cute with colored glass. The bathroom has an illusion that it is bigger than it is (although it is quite at a comfortable size) because of the mirrors obscured by the wooden bars. I love the rain shower and I should say, the bathroom is really clean.

I should say that the superior room is definitely a bargain at RM 200 I paid for, and that includes breakfast for two, too. The colored glass on the windows gives the room a certain warmth and undeniable charm. Over all, the room is just so pretty.

Breakfast area

Accessible through the stairs at the main entrance. Breakfast is basic but tasty. There's an omelet station, too.

Around the Hotel

There is a small courtyard inside with seating area and furniture reminiscent of those I usually see visiting old homes in the Philippines. It evokes a feeling of nostalgia, really. The mortars and pestles on the garden are a nice touch; and old iron (is it?) for cooking/baking are so cute I wanted to just stare at them all day. There was even a old blade fan from a ceiling fan converted into a deco piece.

This is the small space outside our room (window-side).

I know the photo is crappy, really blurred. But I like it, and its the only one I have.

That's the upstairs room above.

Melaka Adventures: Day 2 - From Melaka Sentral to Changi Airport, Singapore

2012-02-19T17:46:00.000+08:00

FROM MELAKA, MALAYSIA

The Courtyard @ Hereen arranged a coach service for us going to the Melaka Sentral bus station. I was surprised to see the roads deserted and it only took around 10 minutes for the coach to reach the bus station. The driver said there's no traffic during weekdays; only on weekends.

No traffic!

Anyway, we got a little early for our departure, in fact, an hour early, considering that there was no traffic. Probably, that is the reason why the very helpful staff at the Courtyard @ Hereen kept on insisting that we leave 30 minutes later. Oh well, next time, I should listen to the counsel of the locals.

The Melaka Sentral is quite huge and organized. Since it was a Monday, there was not much activity and the station was not packed as I expected it to be. There are a couple of restaurants/eateries serving local food and there are even some stalls selling treats like our very own dried goodies like kiamoy and preserved fruits and dried sweets. And, like in the Philippines, they sell in small quantities, or by "tingi." Yay! I bought my favorite, white kiamoy since I didn't want to have red-tinted fingers.

My mother and I searched for the correct terminal and the 707 Travel Group (Melaka-SG-Melaka) is quite easy to find. Speaking of 707 Melaka, no less than 2 strangers, first, our coach driver, and second, a passenger waiting for his bus at the Melaka Sentral, told me good things about 707 Melaka. Actually, they both gushed that I did the right thing booking my tickets with 707 Travel Group since it is highly reputable and that I can rest assured that I'll arrive in Singapore safe and sound. It made me a little happy and again, very thankful, to the staff at the Courtyard @ Hereen. As I've said several posts back, the staff booked our return trip tickets to Singapore.

So, feeling quite satisfied that I'll be in very good hands, after all, the drive from Melaka to Singapore is about 4 hours, I quickly realized the reason why I was told that I did right by choosing 707 Melaka. It appears that there are a lot of bus companies plying the route from Melaka to Singapore that you couldn't find on the internet, and they leave almost by the hour. Moreover, there are a lot of ticket touts loitering the station asking passengers if they want to buy tickets to Melaka, or to Kuala Lumpur or some other places in Malaysia for that matter. If you go to the station without any particular bus company in mind, you'll probably be confused which bus company to choose.

Finally, it was time for boarding, and the bus has comfortable seats and a wide aisle. There are no individual TVs though and no tour guide. But it was fast, didn't make any stops, and we left around 12:10 pm based on the bus' clock, and we arrived at the Malaysian immigration by 1:30 pm. Yes, you read it right. We only took 1 and 1/2 hours to reach the border. By the way, it was the other border, not the more popular one. It was my first time to pass through that border. And, we also passed by Johor Bahru going to the border immigration.

We reached our final stop in Singapore around 2 pm or so. We alighted at a bus station which I later on learned to be the Queen Street bus terminal (I asked people where the heck we were). And my gut told me that it was near Mustafa since one of the roads is called Arab Street and I was right (the place looked familiar to me). We were way too early for our check-in time and perhaps, we'd be better off if we shop some more to while away the time. But my mother told me we should just go straight to the airport instead. It was easy to hail a cab at the Queen Street bus terminal maybe because it was not rush hour when we got there.

AT THE CHANGI AIRPORT

We got to the airport with more than 3 hours to spare before our check-in time. Had I known that the bus ride will be around 2 hours or thereabouts, I would have ridden the 1:30 pm bus from Melaka to Singapore via the same bus company. Next time, I'll take that into account. However, on second thought, I'd rather be early at the airport than arrive there later than expected because of some unforeseen events. So, it's nonetheless a good thing even if we arrived way earlier than we should. The first time I went to Malaysia, we had almost no time to spare as we still needed to go to Singapore to catch our flight. It was what we termed as "one day, one outfit: three countries." Yup. We literally hopped from one country (Malaysia) to the other (Singapore) then back home (Philippines), in just one day. We didn't have the time to change clothes (we left Kuala Lumpur around lunch time and arrived in Singapore 6 hours later, and we landed in the Philippines before 12mn the same day).

It was a good thing that the Changi Airport has lots of activities to offer impatient people like me. They have gaming centers, a small movie theater (showing cable movies), lounges, computer terminals and even swimming pools and smoking areas (open areas).

It's fun to "people watch." I've seen two check-in counters for separate flights going to India while waiting for our counter to open.

Most of the passengers, if not all, had one tv each for check-in.

The first group all had the same model Sony Bravia, and the second group, this group, all had Samsung tvs. By God, I swear!

Melaka Adventures: Day 2 - A Very Sleepy Jonker Walk in the Morning

2012-02-19T09:50:00.000+08:00

If Melaka is a jungle on weekends, it becomes a lonely city on weekdays, and Jonker Walk is no exception. My mother and I went back to Jonker Walk and around the area the following morning to take photos. We were the only tourists milling around. Surprisingly, with all the street party and people crowding the streets, Jonker Walk had no hangover the morning after. The streets were spotlessly clean! However, it lost its vibrance and looked sleepy; somber even, with its streets devoid of people and activity. Of course, the heritage homes remain remarkable but there's a lingering sense of loneliness as the streets were empty and most people have left, or are still sleeping. Had I known that there'd be a lot less people on weekdays, I would have scheduled our trip during weekdays. Imagine. You'd have all of the World Heritage City to yourself!

The Baba House

Hotel Puri

Not all heritage homes in Melaka were created equal. Some are plain, some have lavish intricacies, and some are just in between.

Very simple, very sparse.

And then, you'll see this. Whoa!

It's a small English manor of some sorts among the rows of heritage homes.

And some has such character and charm even after they have been abandoned, like this one:

It is not at all suprising that some of these homes are for sale or lease. After all, they can turn into shops, restaurants and quaint guest homes, too.

Like this shop which sells handmade soaps. So lovely!

Or better yet, they can turn into headquarters like this one below:

Moral Uplifting Association? Are the people of Melaka depraved of morality? Lol!

There are a couple of temples, too.

And believe it or not, a burial site! Apparently, it's the grave of Hang Kasturi who lived sometime during the 15th century. He was accused as a traitor to his brother, Hang Tuah, but it turned out that the real traitor was their other brother, Hang Jebat, whose grave, according to Google, was also in Melaka.

Hang Kasturi's tomb.

Here's the marker explaining the history of Hang Kasturi. It's in broken English but understandable.